...WASHINGTON Dec. 8 -- As part of its efforts t...PhRMA's Board of Directors recently voted to expand its membership to ...The seven new member companies will also be joining PhRMA in its suppo...The new PhRMA members are Cubist Pharmaceuticals Inc. Lexington MA;...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of its efforts to expand awareness of the importance of medical progress in the United States, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is announcing today the addition of seven new member companies.

PhRMA's Board of Directors recently voted to expand its membership to include an impressive list of progressive companies that represent some of the most innovative ideas and talent in America. With these new additions, PhRMA further bolsters its representation of a diverse group of biopharmaceutical research companies that all share the important mission of discovering and developing new medicines that can help patients win their battle against disease.

The seven new member companies will also be joining PhRMA in its support for comprehensive health care reform. America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies have played a constructive role in helping ensure that a comprehensive health reform bill that is good for all Americans -- particularly one that supports medical innovation and improves patient care -- gets to President Obama's desk in the near future.

In addition to developing cutting-edge medicines that help advance patient care in the U.S. and abroad, the new members -- which have a presence in six different states -- have contributed to America's economy by supporting thousands of jobs.

Today, America continues to lead the world in the discovery and development of new medicines. In fact, more than 3 million jobs -- both direct and indirect -- have been created in the U.S. by America's pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies. Health care reform, if done right, can help spur even more jobs, improve the quality of care for all Americans and provide a more stable foundation for future generations, according to industry officials.

"The addition of these member companies is a testament to the hard work PhRMA has been doing over the years, which has attracted enormous new talent to our ranks," said David Brennan, Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca and PhRMA's Chairman of the Board. "We welcome the new member companies with open arms and look forward to working with them on one of the most important issues of our lifetime -- health care reform."

Cubist President and Chief Executive Officer Michael W. Bonney said, "I am grateful to the PhRMA Board of Directors for electing me to serve among the most highly regarded leaders in our industry. Within the context of the health care reform debate and the current economic struggles and well into the future, I look forward to contributing to the dialogue surrounding our changing industry and our role in shaping that change. PhRMA members have always shown leadership on issues concerning patient care, and I am looking forward to ensuring that those issues remain paramount in the organization's mission."

"As a growing biopharmaceutical company, membership in PhRMA will enable OSI Pharmaceuticals to expand our ability to fully engage in important policy discussions at the federal, state and global level," stated Colin Goddard, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "We look forward to collaborating with other PhRMA members to ensure companies like OSI can continue to flourish in providing important life changing therapies to patients around the world."

"Advocacy organizations are operating in a very difficult environment, so we are particularly heartened to be growing our membership," says PhRMA President and CEO Billy Tauzin. "This is the result of biopharmaceutical companies -- both large and small -- seeing a tremendous opportunity to work together on important policy issues that impact patients around the world. Our primary goal is to help preserve and strengthen public policies that foster the development of new medicines -- something policymakers should consider critical if we want to develop new treatments and cures for diseases such as cancer, Parkinson's disease and heart disease."

Tauzin continued, "We are an organization committed to putting the needs of patients first. For years, PhRMA has wholeheartedly supported the notion that people do not check into the doctor's office as a Republican or Democrat, but rather as a patient. PhRMA's advocacy efforts reflect this belief and it remains to this day, a primary reason why we support public policies that encourage medical innovation in the U.S."

Today's announcement follows a recent decision by the PhRMA's Board of Directors to establish a new Committee on Small Biopharmaceutical Companies, which is composed of full and research associate members. The committee was created to address the particular issues facing these smaller specialty companies, including the impact public policies may have on such an important sector of our economy.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $50.3 billion in 2008 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $65.2 billion in 2008.

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